House debates

Thursday, 14 February 2013

Personal Explanations

3:11 pm

Photo of Warren TrussWarren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the member claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Warren TrussWarren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | | Hansard source

Indeed.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals has the call.

Photo of Warren TrussWarren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | | Hansard source

In question time, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport criticised me for not attending the Cooroy to Curra opening. I did not attend because the minister did not give me an invitation to attend, even though all of the money for the project was funded by the previous government.

Honourable members interjecting

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Order! The member for Mayo, the member for Dawson and several others in that vicinity are lucky it is Thursday afternoon.

3:12 pm

Photo of Alan TudgeAlan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the member for Aston claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Alan TudgeAlan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I do.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Aston has the call.

Photo of Alan TudgeAlan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

In question time today, the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth implied that I had endorsed the government's policy priorities. If he had read my speech or listened to my speech, he would have found that he was not correct.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Aston will resume his seat. The member for Aston does need to demonstrate where he has been misrepresented.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the Leader of the House claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | | Hansard source

I do—just then.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the House has the call.

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | | Hansard source

As the former minister for transport would know, the invitations are issued by the Queensland LNP government.

Mr Truss interjecting

They are. You know that is the case, or didn't you do anything? That is right; you did not do any openings because you did not do anything. State governments do the invites.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the House is now abusing the opportunity and will resume his seat.

3:13 pm

Photo of Christopher PyneChristopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Does the Manager of Opposition Business claim to have been misrepresented?

Photo of Christopher PyneChristopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | | Hansard source

I do, most grievously.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business has the call.

Photo of Christopher PyneChristopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | | Hansard source

Again, for a second day in a row, the minister for school education has claimed that I failed to address the issues of the national school improvement plan in his bill. In fact, there is no national school improvement plan in his bill, so it is quite impossible to address it.

Photo of Ms Anna BurkeMs Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. I advise the House that personal explanations are actually a very serious thing. If we continue to abuse them and make them a laughing stock, then they will not have any relevance in the future.